The present invention relates to a method of determining the prevailing field of elastic or residual stresses. The invention makes use of punching the body in an elastic manner by means of large radii spheres or balls and applies Hertz' theory of elastic contact of two solids.
With regard to the first application of determining mechanical properties, the present invention relates to a nondestructive testing method for determining the elastic limit of a body as a function of depth. The invention is of particular significance for metal parts that have been subjected to a surface treatment such as a thermal treatment in order to increase the surface hardness.